The Dare
by PorcelainHeart12
Summary: Skeletor's men are bored one night, so they have a little fun by daring straight-laced Tri-Klops to flirt with the ice queen Evil-Lyn. When Tri-Klops does the deed, he expects Evil-Lyn to laugh in his face. But he's shocked when she responds positively to him. There's hell to pay when the witch finds out it was all for a dare though. Can Tri-Klops win her over?
1. The Kiss

Hey all. Hope you enjoy my newest story, based on the 2000 MYP He-Man series. It is an Evil-Lyn/Tri-Klops romance, which will have 5-7 chapters. It's meant to be quite light-hearted, not too serious.

If you don't like purely romantic He-man stories, or stories that involve Skeletor's warriors showing emotion, you probably won't enjoy this. You have been warned… …mwa ha ha ha… enjoy!

(P.S: 'ED' which is mentioned later in the story, is the Eternian currency in my stories. 120ED is about equal to £120.00)

* * *

Evil-Lyn was so, so very tired. It was only early evening, but she felt as if she could easily fall asleep. It was all because she had been working such long hours for Skeletor lately. For the last week, Skeletor had been in one of his 'frenzies'- one of his moods where he decided that he had to throw everything he had at the Masters, usually within the space of a week. He got like that occasionally.

The trouble was, when Skeletor was in frenzy, everyone else had to be as well. For the entire week, Evil-Lyn had been rising early and going to bed late. Not to mention going on missions and fighting battles outside Grayskull at all hours. Luckily, Skeletor's frantic mood seemed to be abating, but the week of constant activity had left her feeling rather drained.

So here she was, reclining on an old, violently blue-coloured chaise-longue in one of the 'rec rooms' of Snake Mountain. There were several common rooms and 'shared areas' like this, dotted throughout the towering structure that the Evil Warriors called home.

Snake Mountain was simply too large for all the rooms to have a purpose. There was Skeletor's throne room, and he and all of his warriors had their own bedrooms. There was Tri-Klops's lab, and a large kitchen, and training room that they called their 'gym'. There were the dungeons and Beastman's animal 'menagerie'. There was even an extensive library. But the rest of the rooms that weren't being used to store armour or weapons, had been taken over by the warriors and decreed to be 'rec rooms', which meant that a few pieces of moth-eaten furniture had been haphazardly thrown into them in an effort to make them appear 'cosy'. Snake Mountain was many things, Evil-Lyn often though, but it was not 'cosy'.

Some of the shared areas had designated purposes. The small room Evil-Lyn currently sat in was known as the 'Reading Room'- namely because the chaise-longue and an ill-stocked bookcase were the only furniture it possessed. There was little else to do in there. Evil-Lyn was one of the only people to use this room. Her fellow warriors were not 'into' reading. In fact, she doubted whether most of them _could_ read.

She often read in the library, but there was always a danger that Skeletor might join her there. She did not feel like dealing with him right now. So, she'd escaped here with her books, knowing it was danger-free. Skeletor was not the 'common room sort'. He stayed away from such areas unless he wanted something from one of his warriors.

She ran a hand through her short crop of silvery white hair. Her violet eyes were beginning to close, even as she tried to scan the book of magical lore she was holding for any important information. It did not help that she had already changed into her nightgown- a mid-calf length, silken, lilac affair with little, thin straps- a matching, thin, silken dressing gown thrown over the ensemble. She fought to keep her eyes open, even though they felt very heavy. Skeletor would not be happy if she fell asleep when she was supposed to be doing research.

_Well, that's what he gets for running his warriors ragged. _She thought indignantly, but even so, she did not like the thought of him finding her asleep. That was one of the reasons why she was staying out of the library at the moment. It had been three nights ago when Skeletor had found her there, just beginning to drift off to sleep.

"Dear Evil-Lyn, I do hope I'm not interrupting your beauty sleep." He'd sneered, leaning over her as her eyes flicked open. "Perhaps I should get someone more capable to do this research… …someone with a bit more stamina. Someone more like… …Tri-Klops."

_That _had woken her up. She hated to be compared unfavourably to her fellow warriors… …and Skeletor knew it. That was why she was working so hard now, even though Skeletor's frantic mood was winding down. She was not going to let her fellow warriors get the better of her. Although, Tri-Klops was the only one who was really a worry to her. She disliked that the tech knew so much about maths and science- which were not her strong points. She disliked that fact that, really, he was a genius and a very good inventor. She also disliked how loyal he was to Skeletor. It made her disloyalty seem all the more noticeable. She sometimes worried that if she pushed Skeletor too far, he might punish her by giving Tri-Klops her place as 'second-in-command'.

She couldn't have that, which was why she was always keen to insult Tri-Klops and show him up in front of Skeletor. She had done so today with great success. The tech had tried to show off some new invention, and she had quickly made sure she remarked on its uselessness and what a failure Tri-Klops was. The tech had stood there with gritted teeth, whilst Skeletor had joined Evil-Lyn in mocking him- as usual.

She did feel a little sorry for the tech sometimes- he was not a bad-looking man- tall and muscular with a strong jaw (although the rest of his face was always hidden under that stupid visor). He was also somewhat sensible and principled, unlike the other standard issue thugs who followed Skeletor around blindly. There was something of a mystery to him.

Right now though, Evil-Lyn didn't want to deal with unfathomed mysteries- she just wanted to sleep. She stretched her bare feet out across the chaise longue, so she was lying out fully. Then she turned over, so she was lying on her back and staring up at the red, rocky ceiling. Although Lyn was normally a great respecter of books, she let the one she was clutching drop to the floor. Then, she finally closed her eyes and surrendered to the world of sleep. She didn't even have the energy to walk back to her own room and her own bed right now.

* * *

In another larger rec room, Skeletor's men sat around a circular, wooden table, drinking ale from silver tankards and celebrating the fact the week of incredibly hard, constant work seemed to be coming to an end. They had not drunk too much yet, but the night was young.

Beastman was knocking his ale back with lightning speed. On his left was Clawful, and on his right was Whiplash. Seated next to Whiplash was Merman, then Trap-jaw, then Two-Bad. Tri-Klops had unexpectedly joined them for the evening, and was sitting between Two-Bad and Clawful, completing the circle. Stinkor had not been asked, for obvious reasons.

It was unusual for Tri-Klops to take part in social gatherings. His fellow warriors all thought him far too remote and straight-laced. Even he needed a night off every now and again though.

"Should we have asked the stinky guy?" Beastman wondered aloud. The majority of the men shook their heads.

"Nah, he stinks even worse than you do," returned Trap-jaw. Beastman scowled.

"I don't stink!" the furry, orange hulk replied indignantly, oblivious to the fact that the warriors seated on either side of him were giving him a wide berth.

"We could always ask Evil-Lyn to join us!" Merman joked. A collective groan went up from the men. Everyone knew it was a joke. None of them would ever dream of asking the witch to join in with their fun- they virtually all hated her.

Of the eight men who served Skeletor, only Trap-jaw and Clawful seemed indifferent to the nasty piece of work that was Evil-Lyn. Trap-jaw and her got on occasionally, and she didn't bother to insult Clawful very often. There was no fun in insulting Clawful- he was _too _stupid. It would've been too easy.

As if on cue, Clawful shifted uncomfortably in his chair- a chair that looked (and probably was) far too small for the giant crustacean.

"She not that bad…" he muttered in his signature, slow tones.

"Huh, speak for yourself," retorted Whiplash. "Evil-Lyn might smell way nicer than Stinkor, but if I had to choose, I'd much rather spend a day with the stinky guy- he's friendlier."

The green Caligar was obviously still smarting from the harsh words the witch had spoken to him earlier. She had loudly decried him as a 'kiss-up' in front of everyone- even Skeletor. There was a slight cheer from the men as they acknowledged the truth of Whiplash's words- one or two of them even knocked their tankards together in a mock toast.

"She needs to be taken down a peg or two," added the intelligent 'Tuvar' part of Two-Bad. The most the 'Baddrah' part had to contribute was a solid 'Yeah!'

It was the only time they ever agreed on anything. Then again, whether they actively despised her or not, all the men of Snake Mountain seemed to agree that the witch was the bane of their lives. Tri-Klops though (Beastman noticed) had been silent throughout their talk of 'that woman'. Beastman didn't know what the scientist thought of the sorceress, so he decided to call him on it.

"Hey, Trike, what do _you_ think of Evil-Lyn?" Beastman asked directly. "I mean, she really ripped into you earlier!"

That was true. She was known for insulting Tri-Klops's inventions as soon as he presented them, and the presentation earlier had been no exception. To the men's surprise though, Tri-Klops just shrugged his broad shoulders at the Beastman's blunt question, and focused on the half-tankard of ale he still clutched in his large hand. It was Trap-jaw who broke the ice.

"You should just tell 'em, Tri-Klops." The blue warrior advised. The rest of the men all looked up with interest at the fact that there was a 'something' to be told. It didn't surprise them that Trap-jaw should be the one to know about it. Friendship was not a common thing in Snake Mountain, but Tri-Klops and Trap-jaw got on reasonably well, and sometimes went to the tavern together. If Tri-Klops was going to confide in anyone, it would be him.

"Ooo tell us what?" Merman asked, in his bizarre, gargling tones.

Tri-Klops wasn't sure if it was the rare sense of camaraderie he felt, or the ale loosening his strict principles a little, but he felt a strange need to be truthful. He cleared his throat and spoke quietly, but clearly.

"You asked me what I think of Evil-Lyn?" Tri-Klops said in his low, gravelly tones. "Well, the truth is, I think she's very pretty."

Trap-jaw cut in then, sharing the information he'd obviously been desperate to impart for ages. "Tri-Klops has a huge crush on Evil-Lyn- he has done for years. He told me about it a while ago, after we'd had too much ale one night. Evil-Lyn can never find out though. We all know she'd never give him the time of day - she'd just laugh at him"

The rest of the men stared at Tri-Klops, who'd reddened a little under the scrutiny of all those eyes.

"I just think she's pretty." Tri-Klops said sharply. "I find it hard to like her as a person."

"Maybe if you two were together, she'd loosen up a bit and stop being so mean to the rest of us?" pondered Whiplash. "Maybe if you tell her you like her, she might warm up to you?"

"Yeah, and maybe Prince Adam will grow wings and fly," retorted Tri-Klops sarcastically.

Beastman considered this, stroking his chin, then he said. "Tri-Klops, you should try flirting with her. It'd be hilarious to see her reaction!"

All the men cheered at this, egging him on, but Tri-Klops shook his head. "No way. No way."

"Aw, c'mon!" said Beastman. "I _dare you_ to flirt with her. I'll give you 20ED if you do it." As if to prove his point, Beastman reached under the table and pulled out a small leather pouch where he kept his money. He waved the 20ED note in front of Tri-Klops's face. Tri-Klops shook his head.

"I don't want your money." He replied staunchly.

"I'll give you 20ED as well if you do it." Whiplash joined in. Other men were joining in as well now. Soon, the amount of money Tri-Klops would win for the dare was 120ED. Fair amount, by any standards. Tri-Klops was actually enjoying the evening- it was rare for him to be the centre of so much attention. He liked all the men egging him on, but even under the haze of alcohol, he hesitated.

"You're not _afraid _of her, are you?" Beastman asked suddenly, grinning.

"Of course not!" Tri-Klops shot back. But he knew they would all think he was if he didn't go through with it. He would be relentlessly teased. The truth was, all the men were a little bit afraid of Lyn, but admitting it was the ultimate humiliation. It was like letting her win.

Beastman raised his eyebrows, still grinning broadly. "Look at it this way- it's a win-win for you, Trike! If she laughs in your face and rejects you, you still get 120ED. If she decides to flirt back, you might get a pretty new girlfriend _and _120ED."

All the men were nodding enthusiastically now, supporting him and patting him on the back and cheering him on. Tri-Klops slowly reached up and removed his visor, which was not something he did very often. As he unclipped it and placed it carefully on the table, his handsome face was revealed to his comrades. He possessed short black hair and dark-blue eyes with strong features- a strong nose and jaw, with a slight under bite that suited him well- making his jaw appear even squarer.

He was still hurt from her comments earlier about his latest invention, and the truth was, he did wonder how she would react to his flirting. He doubted she'd be interested, but perhaps being knocked back was better than doing nothing? Perhaps it was the ale talking? Or perhaps he was feeling encouraged by the men cheering him on? Either way, he made his choice.

"I'll do it." Tri-Klops said gruffly, draining the rest of his ale in one gulp. His comrades all cheered him on loudly. They even raised a toast to his 'bravery'.

* * *

After the toast, Tri-Klops and the other men trickled out into the corridor in search of the witch. They soon came across her napping in the reading room. She was lying out on the chaise longue, dressed in a silken dressing gown. A book she had undoubtedly been reading had dropped on the floor beside her.

Tri-Klops gulped, suddenly feeling hesitant. She looked so peaceful- perfectly and silently asleep. She looked much softer, and the tech suddenly knew that he didn't want to hurt her. He didn't want to humiliate her, but the men were all around him, whispering their encouragement.

"Wake her up with a kiss!" Trap-jaw said, a devilish grin stretching across his sharp teeth. Of course, that only encouraged Two-Bad and Beastman and Clawful and Merman and Whiplash. They were all nodding their agreement.

"We'll leave you to it." Beastman was saying. He and the others backed out into the corridor, but they left the door open a crack, so they could just see into the room.

"After all, we wanna make sure you do actually fulfill your end of the bargain." Trap-jaw added, as the men jostled and jockeyed for a 'good viewing spot' on the other side of the door.

Tri-Klops walked back over to the sleeping witch. From where he stood, the one door into the room looked closed. It was easy to forget all his comrades were watching him on the other side of it. He suddenly felt very uneasy, and a little guilty. Maybe he could just give her a quick kiss? If he was careful enough, she might stay asleep and not destroy him with her magic. Maybe that would be enough to get the men off his case as well?

He looked at her sleeping peacefully- her short hair that was as white as snow, her moonlight pale skin, her closed amethyst eyes, her crimson lips. She was so beautiful. The tech felt an unexpected stab of affection and longing for her. This probably would be his only chance to ever kiss her.

He leaned down then, and kissed her very softly and very lightly on the lips. As their lips met, Evil-Lyn's eyes suddenly flicked open and she glared at him. She was awake!


	2. The Revelation

Evil-Lyn had been enjoying a wonderful dream (in which she was the undisputed Queen of Eternia, using a kneeling, repentant Skeletor as a footstool) when the kiss took place. She had heard voices, swirling round her like smoke, but she was not sure if they were in her dream or in reality?

She had felt someone kiss her lips. The dream world around her went black, and she sensed she was waking up. As her eyes flicked open, she realised that the kiss was not in her dream, the kiss was reality. It was really happening. Tri-Klops was really leaning over her, giving her a gentle kiss. Her eyes shot open in surprise. She was awake properly now- awake and startled into uncharacteristic silence.

Tri-Klops broke away from her, a little reluctantly. His one good moment was over. She was awake now, which meant only one thing- she was going to make him suffer for his daring act. He stood up quickly, wondering how much distance he could put between himself and the witch before she blasted him with her magic.

"Lyn-" He began, stumbling for the right words to explain his behaviour as best he could.

"Tri-Klops- you were kissing me?!" Evil-Lyn didn't sound angry, more indignant and surprised than anything. She was too surprised to be furious in that moment. It was not every day she woke up to find she was being kissed by Snake Mountain's remote tech.

She did not instantly attack him, namely because this was an intriguing development in her eyes. Even though she was loathe to admit it, she was curious- she wanted to know what had been going on inside his mind when he'd kissed her. Didn't he hate her? Especially after all the insults she'd heaped on him over the years. Didn't he fear her? What about her temper, her magic, and her wrath- did these things mean nothing to him? Was he brave or foolish?

She hauled herself into a sitting position, tucking her legs up beneath her. Tri-Klops stood directly in front of her. He looked abashed.

"I can explain," he told her, sounding apologetic.

"Very well," She said calmly, evenly. "Explain…"

He ran a hand through his short, black hair. It had been a long time since she'd seen him without the visor on, and she had forgotten how handsome he was, but she did not let his good looks distract her from his promised explanation.

Tri-Klops struggled for an appropriate explanation, and came up empty-handed. He decided that his best bet was to try and be reasonably honest, and hope she would take mercy on him.

"I just came into the room, and you looked so peaceful and pretty … …I just couldn't help myself. I wanted to kiss you… …so I did." He turned red at the sound of his awkward words. It was almost the truth- she didn't need to know about the discussion he'd had with the men.

Evil-Lyn raised an eyebrow at his attempted explanation. She was underwhelmed to say the least.

"That's the best you can do?" She asked the tech sharply.

He was unsure of what to say, or of how to read her. She had not hurt him yet - perhaps she pitied him? Perhaps honesty was the best way to go? He decided to gamble by playing the truth card.

"You must know I like you," he remarked gruffly, looking at the floor. "I have done for a long time."

Actually, she hadn't known. She'd thought at times that maybe he was attracted to her, but she'd also thought he hated her. She would've hated him had the situation been reversed. She wasn't quite sure what to make of this revelation. It was another intriguing development.

Evil-Lyn eyed his massive chest and well-muscled arms with a little smile. She was glad it had been him who was kissing her- she could've woken up and found it was Beastman or Merman. She shuddered at the unwelcome thought of _that_.

"I thought you would hate me after all the times I've insulted you," she countered smoothly. He considered this.

"I don't think that's really you, Lyn." He replied thoughtfully. "I think you just act that way because you feel you have to- to impress Skeletor or something."

She looked away then, uncomfortable at his apt words. A light-hearted kiss was one thing… …all this 'discussion' was quite another. She kept her walls up for good reasons. She was not the trusting sort.

Feeling emboldened by her unexpected silence, Tri-Klops moved closer and sat uninvited on the chaise longue, next to her.

Could he really be getting through to her? He decided to take a chance- he stretched out a hand to her, and rested it cautiously on her shoulder. She did not meet his eyes, but she did not tell him to remove his hand either.

She shifted slightly and he flinched, still half expecting an attack. She rolled her eyes at this- all the men of Snake Mountain were afraid of her. They thought she would kill them if they dared get too close to her- if she was in a temper, it was probably possible. Even so, it bothered her that Tri-Klops seemed torn- he looked as if he couldn't decide whether to keep his hand on her shoulder, or to run. Sometimes, she grew a little tired of everyone cowering around her and walking on eggshells.

"You _can _touch me, you know," she said, a little irritated at his nervous flinching. "You are allowed to. You don't _have_ to act as though my skin will burn you on contact."

Tri-Klops stiffened a little. "I'm just trying to respect your boundaries- boundaries that you put there in the first place."

That was true- she had always been rather cold and stand-offish.

"And where, dear Tri-Klops, does kissing me when I'm asleep fit into my 'boundaries'?" She asked sharply.

He reddened then and looked away. She sighed at his awkwardness and shifted slightly closer to him. The truth was, Evil-Lyn liked attention. She liked affection. She liked to be touched. These things were in short supply in the Dark Hemisphere.

Although she enjoyed her comrades' fear of her, she had never been accepted or liked by them, and at times, it wore a little thin- always being seen as a cold, hostile and unattainable creature- always being left out of the fun. She moved even closer to the tech.

She _had _actually liked being kissed by Tri-Klops, which shocked her a little. Surely it couldn't hurt to have the powerful, handsome tech on her side though? She shifted yet closer to him. Tri-Klops raised his eyebrows in surprise at her actions, but he responded by slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her against him.

"Tri-Klops-" She began, but he ran his thumb over her lips, silencing her. She had to admit, she was rather impressed by the sudden, new-found boldness he was showing. Truthfully though, the tech was as surprised at himself as she was.

_Elders above, she's lovely! _He found himself thinking, looking into those wide eyes with their long, dark lashes.

He leaned in then and kissed her fully on the lips, feeling the wonderful warmth of her in his arms. He had waited so long for this moment. She hesitated for a mere moment, and then she was kissing him back, lost in the haze of unexpected passion.

Her lips were full and soft, and he could smell her flowery perfume. He wrapped his strong arms around her slender waist, pulling her even more tightly against him.

Suddenly, Tri-Klops heard a burst of barely supressed laughter from the other side of the door. The men! He'd been so caught up in Lyn that he'd forgotten the men- he'd forgotten the dare! Tri-Klops had to get rid of them, before their presence became known, and they ruined this moment for him. He broke from the witch.

"What is it?" She asked- she had been lost in the moment too. Thankfully, she didn't seem to have heard the laughter.

"I just have to check something." He replied lamely- the best excuse he could think of on such short notice. "I'll be back in a second."

He walked to the door, leaving Evil-Lyn sitting, confused, on the chaise longue. He had to stop her from finding out the truth. Maybe if he could quietly shuffle the men away from the door? Talk to them in another room? Lyn might not hear then- he might get away with his actions. He got to the room's silver door, and slipped out, quickly closing it behind him.

* * *

The second Tri-Klops was in the corridor though, he knew it was too late. All six men who were standing there burst into loud, hysterical laughter at the sight of the flustered tech.

"You did it, Trike! You really flirted with Evil-Lyn- _the _Evil-Lyn!" Beastman practically shouted. There was no way Evil-Lyn would miss this conversation. Even from inside the room, Beastman's words would be perfectly audible. "I had my doubts, but you said you'd flirt with her, and you did. You won the bet- that 120ED are yours, fair and square!"

Tri-Klops began to feel sick, knowing that the witch could hear every word from the other side of the door. He tried to be noble.

"I don't want your money," he told the others, though his voice was drowned out by their cheering and wolf-whistling. It was the truth. He didn't care about 120ED, he just wanted the witch, but he knew it was futile now. She would be furious. What had he done?

"The ice queen certainly warmed up to you though, didn't she?" Trap-jaw asked, laughing, and the others all laughed too.

"You _can _touch me, you know. You are allowed to," mimicked Whiplash, parroting the witch's earlier words in a high falsetto voice, causing the others to double up in stitches. Tri-Klops cringed inwardly for Evil-Lyn, and how she was being mocked. Even Clawful was laughing at her.

"When we dared you to flirt with Evil-Lyn, I never dreamed she'd let you kiss her." Tuvar of Two-Bad chimed in.

Tri-Klops was shaking his head.

"You guys should get out of here," he murmured.

They turned to leave then, still laughing and commenting. As they walked off, Beastman called that he would give Tri-Klops the money first thing in the morning, ignoring the tech's protests that he no longer wanted it. Finally, Tri-Klops was left alone. He faced the silver door. Then he slowly opened it and went inside.

Now, he had to face Evil-Lyn.

* * *

For her part, Evil-Lyn had been enjoying the kiss, and had been surprised by Tri-Klops suddenly pulling away from her, removing his arms from her waist and mumbling that he needed to 'check something'. She raised her eyebrows a little at this, but she let him go all the same, watching his broad back retreat to the room's only door. He opened it and slipped out.

The second Tri-Klops was outside and the door was closed, Evil-Lyn heard several men explode into hysterical laughter. She recognised the chorus of voices- wasn't that Beastman? And Whiplash? And Merman? And some of the others? Had they been spying on her and Tri-Klops? If so, she would make them pay!

The she heard Beastman's booming voice through the door.

"You did it, Trike! You really flirted with Evil-Lyn- _the _Evil-Lyn! I had my doubts, but you said you'd flirt with her, and you did. You won the bet- that 120ED are yours, fair and square!"

120ED? A dare to flirt with her? Suddenly, Evil-Lyn understood. She understood everything. She understood why she'd woken up to Tri-Klops unexpectedly kissing her, and why he'd suddenly chosen to shower affection on her today. She had been the punchline of a joke. She closed her eyes and groaned, burying her face in her hands as the truth began to sink in.

Tri-Klops cared nothing for her. He had flirted with her to provide his friends with a cheap laugh and win some cash. The truth hurt.

Even Trap-jaw was joining in now, and Evil-Lyn had never gotten on too badly with him.

"The ice queen certainly warmed up to you though, didn't she?" she could hear him saying through the door.

She felt pained, and she hated herself for it. Why had she trusted the tech? Why had she let herself be swayed by him? Why had she shown weakness, just this once?

She heard Whiplash mimic her. "You _can _touch me, you know. You are allowed to."

All the men laughed even harder at this, and Evil-Lyn felt herself burning with humiliation and the sting of injured pride. What a fool she had been!

"When we dared you to flirt with Evil-Lyn, I never dreamed she'd let you kiss her." Another of them was saying. She pressed her hands over her ears, wanting to block it out, but she could still hear their mocking laughter.

Finally, she heard the hysterics beginning to fade. She uncovered her ears and heard her comrades retreating down the corridor. They were still laughing- she was going to be a laughing stock for a long time.

She was furious at Tri-Klops, but more than angry, she was hurt (though she would not admit it). She heard the door opening and saw that Tri-Klops was coming back into the room- an expression of unadulterated guilt on his face.

* * *

Tri-Klops ventured quietly back into the room, and shut the door behind him. He turned slowly; ready to face Evil-Lyn. She was still seated on the chaise longue, but she did not look at him, she looked at the floor.

Finally, she raised her face to look him in the eye. From her afflicted expression, he could tell that she'd heard every word.


	3. The Explanation

Tri-Klops stood a few feet in front of the witch. He chewed his lower lip awkwardly, bracing himself for what was to come.

"I guess you heard that?" He finally managed. Evil-Lyn only gave the slightest nod, the tiniest inclination of her head to signal that she had indeed heard the proceedings.

"Evil-Lyn- Lyn- I can explain." He began desperately, but the witch was shaking her head. When she spoke, her voice was so quiet that he could barely hear her. That's how he knew she was furious- she had gone past the point of shouting.

"That's the problem, Tri-Klops," she remarked softly. "I don't really think that you can."

"But it's not how it sounds!" He insisted. She kept her expression blank, but her eyes were boring into his.

"Actually, I think it's _exactly _how it sounds," she said slowly. "You and the others thought you'd humiliate me for a bit of fun. Well done, you! You must be feeling as though you hit the jackpot?"

She kept her voice steady and even, and her face was an emotionless mask, but her eyes betrayed some of the hurt she was feeling. Tri-Klops suddenly felt like the worst person in the world. He'd been so happy a mere few moments before, and then, it had all come crashing down. He wanted to turn back the clock.

He was the one shaking his head now.

"No- no! It wasn't like that!" he told her. "I really did like you- I do like you. That wasn't a lie."

"Tri-Klops, please stop!" She said, sounding weary. "You've had your fun- you don't need to carry on pretending."

"I'm not pretending," was his staunch reply. She sighed at his words and pressed her face into her hands, trying to keep her breathing even. Why couldn't he just laugh in her face and move on? Why did he have to continue with this charade? Hadn't he done enough?

She hadn't attacked him with her magic- something was holding her back. In a way, it would've been too easy to use her powers to hurt him- her revenge and her anger would've been over too quickly in a blaze of rage. She wanted to let it slowly burn inside her for a while.

Additionally, if she attacked Tri-Klops with her powers, he and the other men would know that they had 'won'. They would know that they had touched a nerve, and succeeded in hurting her. She wouldn't let them have that power. She would not be vulnerable to them.

He moved closer to the chaise longue then, until he was standing a mere foot in front of her. She shifted, but this time she was moving away from him, not towards him. The hurt and humiliation still burnt within her like a crackling fire that would not go out. She was not used to being made a fool of, and she did not like how it felt.

She blinked back the beginnings of tears, telling herself that she would not let them get the better of her. She would not give Tri-Klops the satisfaction of thinking that he'd made her cry, or thinking that he could have that power over her. She focused instead on the icy-cold rage that was building up inside- she could draw strength from that.

Tri-Klops hadn't thought it possible, but looking at her, he suddenly felt even worse. He wanted to take her in his arms, so she could not slip away from him before he had a chance to explain and apologise. She was not attacking him, so for a split-second, he was crazy enough to think she might let him hold her again.

She was acting blasé and emotionless, as if she didn't really care about what he'd done, but when he stretched out his arms and reached for her, she suddenly flinched and shrank away from him, revealing her true feelings. She could not or would not let him get that close again.

"Lyn, I can explain!" He tried again, letting his arms drop uselessly to his sides.

She stood up from the chaise longue, no longer feeling safe there. He had tried to take hold of her again- sitting there right in front of him was like being a sitting duck. She walked a few steps away from him, and then she undid and retied the silky belt of her dressing gown, so it was a little tighter. She turned away from him.

"Very well," she said calmly, feeling better now that there was some distance between them. "Explain…"

It was a grim parody of the conversation they'd had earlier, just before he'd been able to kiss her. He wondered if he'd ever get to kiss her again. It was looking unlikely. Tri-Klops knew he had to try and explain though- this was his one chance.

"I've always liked you. I've liked you for years," he began. "That part's true, whether you believe it or not. But I never thought you were interested in me. You always insulted me or belittled me in front of Skeletor."

"So that makes it alright, does it?" She cut in sharply, allowing her voice to rise a little higher for the first time since he'd re-entered the room. "You can humiliate me, but it's alright, because I'm a cruel woman who 'got what was coming to her'? Does it make you feel big, knowing that I got 'what I deserve?'"

Finally, Tri-Klops allowed a little of the frustration he felt over being misunderstood to creep into his voice. "That's not what I meant. Will you just let me finish? Just listen to me, for once!"

Her little outburst over, Evil-Lyn quickly regained her composure and allowed Tri-Klops the floor once more. He was breathing a little heavier, she noticed. But she couldn't tell if he was panicking or frustrated.

"Like I said, I'd always liked you, but never thought you were interested in me," he continued on. "The other men found out I liked you, and we were all drinking together, and they started goading me on, telling me I should do something about it. I started to think that maybe I should."

She said nothing, merely raised an eyebrow at him, so he went on. "It's true that they offered me money because they wanted to see me flirt with you, but I wanted to take action anyway- I wanted to be with you. The money means nothing to me- it's immaterial. I'm not going to take it."

She turned away from him again. She did not want to be swayed by his sad expression, or his desperate words. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her upper arms. He kept a careful yet firm hold on her- too worried that if he let go, he might never get a chance to touch her again. She stood very still, careful to keep her breathing even, not wanting to betray anything.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt. It was a foolish thing to do, and I wish I hadn't done it. I don't regret kissing you though."

He turned her around slowly, so that she was facing him. He made sure he still had a hold of her upper arms. He waited, and so did she. He wondered about trying to kiss her again. She hadn't told him to let go of her. Could she possibly be on the verge of forgiving him?

She searched his eyes, but he wasn't sure what she was looking for- honesty? Remorse? Deceit? Affection? He hoped it was the latter. He removed his right hand from her arm, and reached up to stroke her cheek, enjoying the feel of her smooth, soft skin.

"I care about you," he admitted in his gruff tones. "I hope that now I've explained everything to you, you can see that I just made a mistake? I'm hoping you might forgive me, maybe even give me another chance?"

Evil-Lyn looked right into his dark blue eyes then. When she spoke, she kept her voice quiet and calm.

"I hate you," she said softly.

With that, she broke free of the tech's grasp and swept imperiously from the room. Tri-Klops was left standing there alone, wondering what to do next.

* * *

_Poor Tri-Klops! Will he ever win his lady over? Next chapter should be up this weekend. _


	4. The Mission

For the next four days, Tri-Klops did not see hide nor hair of Evil-Lyn. The witch remained locked in her bedroom. If she ever did emerge, she was careful to avoid him. For the first two days, Tri-Klops had left well alone, her bitter last words about hating him still ringing freshly in his mind. On the third day, he had tried knocking and even calling through the door for her, but he received no answer, even though he knew she was in there.

The fourth day had found him in the large kitchen of Snake Mountain, sitting silently at the table and wondering what to do. Trap-Jaw had wandered in then, and shaken his head at the sight of his friend looking so forlorn.

"You need to stop moping round the place, Trike," had been Trap-Jaw's advice. "We got you looking like the world's endin', and the witch hiding out in her rooms. You and Evil-Lyn are startin' to make a right miserable pair."

"I can't help it," Tri-Klops replied gruffly. "You know how long I wanted her for. I came so close- she was actually letting me kiss her. Then I ruined it all because of that stupid dare."

"You didn't even take the money," stressed Trap-Jaw, to whom everything was black and white.

"Even so, women tend to remember these things." Tri-Klops said.

A few moments of silence settled between the men, and Trap-Jaw finally said, "I think she'll get over it, just give her time. If you feel that bad, you should buy her some flowers or chocolates or somethin'. That's what men normally do when they upset a woman, isn't it?"

Tri-Klops seriously doubted that Evil-Lyn would be won over by a few measly flowers, but he supposed it was worth a try. It was his turn to go to the market anyway- the men brought food into Snake Mountain on a weekly rota. So, when Tri-Klops went into the Dark Hemisphere town of Geriel (which was a market town) to buy the week's food, he did end up getting a bunch of flowers. They were wild-looking, almost garishly pink things with a delicate fragrance. He sensed that the witch might like them, but he felt uncomfortable and awkward holding them. The tech had never bought flowers for a woman before. He was not that sort.

On his return to Snake Mountain, he went straight to Lyn's room and called through the door that he had a present for her. She completely ignored him and the door remained closed, so he was forced to leave the flowers outside. An hour later, he checked back and the flowers were gone. Evil-Lyn had obviously removed them. But without speaking to her, Tri-Klops had no way of knowing if she'd kept them or binned them. He wisely decided that it was sometimes better not to know.

* * *

By the morning of the fifth day, he was getting desperate. There was not even any work to take his mind off things- Skeletor often had a few days of inactivity after one of his 'frenzies'. Luckily though, on that fifth day, Skeletor's voice sounded magically throughout every room of Snake Mountain, summoning all his warriors to his throne room. Tri-Klops heart rose at the thought of seeing Evil-Lyn again. She would not dare to disobey a summons from Skeletor, even if she was in a sulk.

* * *

Tri-Klops hurried to the throne room, and was surprised to see that Evil-Lyn was already there, dressed in her battle uniform. Her face was quiet and pale, and she did not move to acknowledge the tech. It was as if he were a ghost to her.

Skeletor was not here yet- his throne was empty, but all the other men were. Beastman was standing on the other side of the room to Evil-Lyn. He was flanked by Clawful, Whiplash, Merman and Two-Bad. Trap-Jaw and Stinkor were also near him. Beastman and the others whispered to one another and nudged each other and shot pointed looks and smirks towards the witch, who pretended not to notice. Trap-Jaw had the good grace to look a little uncomfortable.

Tri-Klops went to the other side of the room and stood right next to Lyn, in a display of loyalty which she did not even seem to notice. One of the men- it might have been Merman, gave a silly wolf-whistle, and one or two of the others laughed. Tri-Klops ignored them.

"Did you get my flowers?" He asked awkwardly, in a whisper that only she could hear. Evil-Lyn made a non-committal 'hmm' sound, which gave nothing away. Tri-Klops was left not knowing the fate of the flowers. He shifted uncomfortably and sighed.

Feeling an increasing urge to break through Evil-Lyn's walls and get through to her, Tri-Klops did something daring. In front of everyone, he reached down and took hold of Evil-Lyn's small hand in his large one.

"They're holding hands!" Beastman chuckled gleefully, loudly enough so that everyone could hear.

To Tri-Klops's surprise, Evil-Lyn did not shout at him or glare at him or even snatch her hand away. Instead, she simply looked down at their clasped hands with an expression of such disdain on her face, that Tri-Klops felt he had no choice but to let go. He dropped his own now-empty hand back to his side. At that moment, Skeletor walked in, saving him from further embarrassment.

"Ah, my warriors!" The skull-faced leader said in his usual tones, which always sounded sneering. "I hope you enjoyed a few days' rest, you won't be getting that again for a while."

He walked up to his throne and sat upon it, his terrifying visage hidden by his dark cloak. Only his glowing ruby eyes were showing.

"I have called you all here this morning, as I've just learned of a new powerful artefact- the Gem of Sahnia. It can triple a person's physical strength- it would make me more than a match for that loathsome He-Man and his band of measly Masters."

The evil warriors were all listening intently now. Even Evil-Lyn looked impressed, Tri-Klops noted. Her wide eyes were even wider than normal and her crimson lips were slightly parted in awe. For a split second, she looked unguarded, and he felt that familiar ache of longing. But then she noticed Tri-Klops was looking at her, and she scowled and turned her expression back to 'blank mask'.

"Now," Skeletor was saying. "The gem is located somewhere in the ruins of the old city of Fortesca. The stone's last guardian was said to be both a mage and a prominent scientist, so I don't know what traps he may have set. There is likely to be a mix of science and sorcery there though, which is why I'm sending you two- Evil-Lyn and Tri-Klops- on this mission together. It shouldn't take you more than two days to retrieve my gem!"

Tri-Klops's heart rose again- he was getting to go on a mission with the witch! He was finally going to be able to spend some time with her - two whole days- and she wouldn't be able to shut him out or slink off somewhere. He was pleased, but it was obvious that the feeling was not mutual. When Evil-Lyn heard who was accompanying her on the mission, her face showed such unadulterated disgust that even Skeletor couldn't ignore it.

"Is there a problem, dear Evil-Lyn?" he asked in his caustic tones. "I would hate for my plans to conquer Eternia to interfere too much with your life!"

"No, there's no problem." Evil-Lyn muttered in a sulky tone (although her voice and the equally sulky expression on her face indicated otherwise).

"Good," Skeletor said slowly, but he was not convinced. He turned to face his other warriors. "Everyone out, except Tri-Klops and Evil-Lyn- I want a word with you two."

The other men quickly made tracks from the room- it did not do to keep Skeletor waiting.

Now that it was just the three of them, the self-proclaimed Overlord of Evil looked down upon Evil-Lyn and Tri-Klops from his throne, and spoke thoughtfully, "I may not have eyes in the traditional sense- as you once so kindly pointed out, Evil-Lyn- but I am not blind, and I can see what is going on here. It's obvious something has happened between you two."

When neither sorceress or scientist moved to speak, Skeletor went on, "Relations were never wonderful between you two, but lately, they seem to have soured even more. Evil-Lyn- you've been hiding in your room for almost an entire week, and Tri-Klops, you're wandering around as if you're carrying the weight of Eternia on your shoulders. When you're in the same room, well, Tri-Klops- you still look miserable and Evil-Lyn- you're shooting him looks of pure hatred- the kind you usually reserve for Beastman."

Skeletor took a deep breath then, and finished with his final comment on the situation. "I'm not going to ask what's happened, because the truth is, I really don't care. But if it affects your ability to work together, I will be… …unimpressed, to say the least." His eyes glowed a dangerous, glittering red. "Have I made myself clear?"

Tri-Klops and Evil-Lyn both nodded. As an afterthought, Skeletor added, "Get out of my sight. Get it sorted out, and get my gem! Don't dare come back here without it."

With that, he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. As they headed out of the doors, Tri-Klops said, "We'll need to pack a few bits and pieces if we're going for two days. I'll grab the tent and all the other camping things as well, and meet you in the landing dock in thirty minutes?"

Evil-Lyn gave a slight, curt nod at this and stalked off to her rooms to pack her bag. This situation was doing her head in. The fact that she and Tri-Klops would have to set up camp together and share a tent added another layer of irritation to the proceedings. The tents were so large- one could easily sleep six people- so Evil-Lyn could not justify packing a separate tent for herself. As if that wasn't bad enough, she hated any form of camping so very much- she was a woman who liked her creature comforts! Her soft bed with its silken sheets, the large bathtub in her adjoining room with its hot, bubbling water. She groaned at the thought of exchanging these things for sleeping on the cold, hard ground in the wilderness somewhere, even if it was just for two days!

It wasn't just the camping situation that was bothering her though- she had seen how happy Tri-Klops was to learn he was going on mission with her- which made her even angrier. She knew he'd jumping be all over her and smothering her with affection like a new puppy if she gave him the slightest opportunity. In fact, he was already like that! What was all that nonsense in the throne room- trying to take her hand!? What was he thinking? She began to pack her bag, muttering darkly to herself. These two days were going to test her sorely. She just knew it.

* * *

Tri-Klops, meanwhile, could not suppress a grin as he threw things into his own bag in his room. Two whole days with the witch! He was looking forward to finally getting her on her own, away from Snake Mountain and Skeletor and all the other men. He'd make her see sense yet. He still hoped that they would be able to sort things out.


	5. The Forest

_It's been a super-busy week at work, hence the few days of silence. Anyway, hope you enjoy the newest chapter- P.H x_

* * *

Tri-Klops arrived in Snake Mountain's landing dock exactly twenty-seven minutes after he'd spoken to the witch. He put down the bags he was carrying and surveyed the vehicles that were stationary before him. The journey would take about four hours- Fortesca was not very nearby. Tri-Klops had already planned for them to stop in a tavern for lunch. Maybe a glass of wine or two would make Evil-Lyn loosen up and be a little more forgiving towards him.

He selected the vehicle nearest to him- a flying, round silver vehicle that resembled a disc. It had only two seats, but a large amount of space in the trunk- plenty for all their camping gear. He began to load it up, packing away his bag and the tent and all the other supplies he'd bought. He heard the sound of light footsteps behind him, and turned to see Evil-Lyn standing there. She was still dressed in her battle uniform, but she was not wearing her headdress, having decided that she would not need it for the journey. Tri-Klops wanted to touch her short, silky, white hair, but he resolutely kept his hands by his sides this time, doubting that such a gesture would be well-received.

"Did you bring enough?" He asked, with the slightest hint of a smirk. He gestured to the three large bags that she'd packed for herself. Tri-Klops only had one bag for the journey, and it was not full. They needed the trunk space for camping equipment.

Evil-Lyn rolled her eyes at this and did not deign to answer him. He bent down and heaved her bags into the trunk- they weighed a tonne. She simply watched him, and did not thank him or offer to help in any way. She simply took it as her due that he should do this for her. She did sigh inwardly at his choice of vehicle though- the 'flying disc' (as it was nicknamed) had two seats that were very close together. There would be no escape from his company on this long journey.

She slid into the passenger seat of the vehicle, and Tri-Klops closed the trunk and sat in the driver's seat right beside her. The vehicle was tight on space, and his left leg was pressed against her right one. She gritted her teeth when she felt the bare skin of his thigh pressed against the bare skin of hers, but there was not much she could do. She was sure he had chosen this vehicle on purpose- to make her as uncomfortable as possible.

They took off into the air then, and began their journey to Fortesca. Tri-Klops tried to make conversation with the witch several times, but she gave non-committal 'hmm' answers to a lot of what he said. She was not willing to let him in. She was obviously still not feeling forgiving.

Tri-Klops gulped nervously, and then announced his news. "I've made plans for us to stop for lunch,"

Evil-Lyn narrowed her eyes at this revelation.

"What?" she hissed.

The tech began to feel uncomfortable- he had a feeling she was going to take this badly.

"I've made plans for us to stop at this tavern I know," he explained, a little awkwardly. "The journey will take four hours."

"This isn't a social call," she remarked sharply. "We're on a mission."

"We need to eat, Lyn," he insisted. She turned away from him.

"Fine. Whatever." She replied carelessly, gazing out into the clear, open sky and pretending she was somewhere else- anywhere but here in this tiny space, with her leg pressed against his. Despite everything, she promised herself that she would not let him affect her. Let them have lunch! What did she care? It would not change anything.

Tri-Klops smiled at his 'victory'. She had not refused to have lunch with him- that was a start, wasn't it?

"I think you'll really like this place, Lyn," he said hopefully.

He reached out a hand then and patted her bare thigh. She glowered angrily at him for his impertinence, especially as he left his hand resting there. How dare he! The cheek of it!

She would've struck him with her magic, but even in temper, Lyn knew better than to attack the person who was piloting their airborne vehicle. Just as she was about to deliver a harsh verbal warning to him, Tri-Klops caught sight of her murderous expression. If looks could kill, he would've turned to stone where he sat. He carefully removed his hand.

They did not speak for the rest of the journey to the tavern. When Tri-Klops tried to talk to the witch, he was rewarded with an icy silence.

* * *

After almost exactly two hours of cold silence, the pair landed at the tavern. It was a small, quaint place full of rustic charm. Evil-Lyn refused to be swayed by it 'cosiness', but she followed Tri-Klops inside wordlessly. She was hungry, even though she hated to admit it.

The place was dimly lit on the inside, with a few quiet patrons here and there. The witch thought they would sit down at a table for two, but Tri-Klops walked to a corner booth. When Evil-Lyn sat down on the plush red settee that was there, he did not take the seat opposite her. Instead, he sat down right next to her and slipped an arm around her shoulders.

"Don't!" She said sharply, pulling away from him, and making her eyes glow fiercely with sparkling purple magic for emphasis. "Try that again, and I'll move to another table."

Tri-Klops removed his visor then and looked right at her with his blue eyes.

"Why can't you just forgive me and give me another chance?" he asked sadly.

"Why can't _you _just accept that it's never going to happen?" she shot back coolly. Why did he have to make this so difficult?

Tri-Klops chewed his lower lip, but he did not try to touch her again. They ordered their food quietly and sat in silence. Evil-Lyn picked at her food- Tri-Klops and the whole situation having made her loose her appetite. She did drink two glasses of wine though. She was not a big drinker, but this was one of those days when she felt as though she needed a drink. The tech was really trying her patience. He ate his food quietly, and occasionally shot her looks of longing, but she ignored them and drained her glass instead. She was not in the mood to deal with the tech.

* * *

Eventually, after a long journey filled with uncomfortable silences and many dark looks from Evil-Lyn, the pair arrived in the dense forest where they would be camping- it was just on the outskirts of Fortesca's ruins. Tri-Klops found a large clearing surrounded by trees on all sides, and began setting up camp and pitching their tent. Evil-Lyn sat on a nearby flat rock, watching him and not helping. The truth was, Tri-Klops was glad to be doing the work himself- he needed the distraction. He knew they'd only been together for a few hours, but even so, the trip was not going as he'd hoped.

He'd thought the witch would like the tavern. He'd though that she might loosen up a bit and warm to him- especially as he'd paid for everything. She hadn't though- she'd just shrugged her shoulders elegantly when he'd footed the bill, and she was still barely speaking to him. He didn't know how to get through to her.

Evil-Lyn, on the other hand, was unimpressed by Tri-Klops's choice of tent- it was the vehicle situation all over again. Most of the tents that they owned in Snake Mountain would've slept six people, but Tri-Klops had chosen the smallest one- it only slept four people. They were going to be much closer than she would've liked during the night. If she questioned him about it though, he would simply, quite rightly point out that they didn't need a six-person tent for two of them. He was always so infuriatingly reasonable like that. First the vehicle which kept them pressed together, and now this tent. She was sure he was doing this deliberately to wind her up. She refused to be provoked into a reaction though- she would not give him that satisfaction.

The tent pitched, Tri-Klops dragged their bags inside and went off to collect firewood. Evil-Lyn watched him slope off into the forest, and noticed that he walked with a slightly dejected slump. She would not soften though- she promised that. She had wondered once or twice, if perhaps she _should _give him another chance. It was obvious now, even to her, that he really did want her and regretted his actions. She remembered the passionate way he'd kissed her, his strong arms wrapped around her, and how good it had felt, but then she recalled the men's mocking laughter. She recalled the burning humiliation and sharp, stinging pain she'd felt when she found out about the dare, then that familiar icy rage built up inside her again, and she knew she could not contemplate forgiving him. Let him suffer! Let him feel dejected! No-one made a fool of Evil-Lyn!

* * *

Tri-Klops returned as evening was beginning to fall in, and started trying to light the fire. Lyn _was _glad that he knew what he was doing. She had no knowledge of camping- it was always something she'd actively tried to avoid. She did not know how to pitch a tent, gather decent firewood, start a fire or cook over one. Her magic, though powerful in battle, was of little use with such things. It suddenly dawned on her that she was completely reliant on Tri-Klops for now, and she felt a jolt of discomfort when she realised that he would have to take care of her- in fact, he'd already started to. It was the tech who'd got their shelter, collected their firewood and was now cooking their dinner over the open flames.

She was relying on the tech now for food, shelter and warmth, which left her feeling rather horrified. She did not want to need him- that was a dangerous position to be in. She hoped he didn't realise how useful he was.

Tri-Klops went and retrieved a bottle of red wine from his bag and poured it into two goblets, presenting one to her. As they ate their food by the warmth of the fireplace, Evil-Lyn drank down the sweet, rich wine. It was a decent bottle. She wondered why Tri-Klops had brought this- was he trying to impress her? She did not want to know the answer.

"I didn't take the money from the bet," the tech said suddenly, cutting through the silence that had sprung up like a wall between them, growing ever larger with each wrong word or misunderstanding. Lyn looked down into her wine goblet.

Thinking she hadn't heard, he tried again. "I didn't take the mon-"

"I heard you!" She cut him off sharply. He thought they would leave it at that, but then she said, "You should take the money, if you want to."

Tri-Klops stared at her. He had removed his visor, and there was no mistaking the confusion in his eyes. He thought he'd misheard her, but then she clarified things.

"Whether you take the money or not is immaterial, _Trike_," she explained frostily, pronouncing his nickname with a slight sneer. "It will not change my mind. I will not be more any forgiving to you if you refuse it, so you might as well take it if you want it."

"I don't want it. I want you," he said firmly. But she merely shrugged her shoulders in a passive-aggressive manner at his declaration, as if his words were of no consequence to her.

He stood up from his spot by the campfire and walked over to where she was sitting on the ground. He knelt down beside her, and she became very still, wondering if he would touch her, but instead, he simply refilled her wine goblet. She found herself feeling oddly disappointed, but she pushed the feeling aside. Tri-Klops sat himself on the ground next to her and the two of them stared into the crackling orange flames.

"I'm off to bed," she said finally, and Tri-Klops stood and offered his hand to help her to her feet, but she ignored him and started to get to her up on her own.

The wine she'd drunk made her a little light-headed, and she stumbled as she tried to get up too quickly. The tech caught hold of her, slipping an arm around her waist to stop her from falling, and she silently cursed herself for her uncharacteristic, wine-induced clumsiness, which had provided him with another opportunity to put his hands on her. She pulled away from him quickly and headed to the tent. He followed closely behind her like some irritatingly loyal puppy dog at her heels. She did not know why she couldn't shake him? Had he paid no heed to her words about hating him?

* * *

Inside the tent, she noticed that he'd set up their beds so they were virtually next to each other.

_Dream on, Tri-Klops, _she thought to herself as she used her magic to move the beds apart, so that they were now on opposite sides of the tent- hers on the right and his on the left. If he thought he'd be cuddling up to her at night, he could think again! He raised his eyebrows a little at her actions, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

She reached for one of her many bags and pulled out her nightgown- a sky-blue affair with red roses on it that went beautifully with her moonlight-pale skin, and showed her lovely, hourglass figure well. She could have used magic to change her clothing instantly, but she decided it would be better to inconvenience Tri-Klops.

"I'm going to get changed. Out!" she ordered sharply, pointing a well-manicured nail to the tent entrance.

Tri-Klops grumbled almost inaudibly at being ordered about so, but all the same, he took his own bag and shuffled out of the tent. Evil-Lyn took her time getting changed, finally feeling a little better now that she had some space from the tech. They were going to be spending enough hours together as it was.

Eventually, she called out that he could return, graciously allowing him back into the tent… …although a tiny part of her had been tempted to leave him waiting out there for a few more hours- possibly even for the whole night.

When Tri-Klops walked back in, clutching his bag, Lyn noticed that he'd gotten changed too- it was a warm night and he was dressed only in dark-blue pyjama trousers, leaving his chest bare. She noticed that he was looking at her nightgown rather appreciatively. He could get any ideas of romance straight out of his head though, she decided.

"That's _your_ side of the tent," she told him, pointing to it. "And this is _my_ side."

She spoke with clear emphasis and a cool finality, as if he could've somehow misinterpreted her earlier gesture of moving the beds apart. Tri-Klops nodded and retreated to the side she'd earmarked for him.

"Don't dare come near me when I'm asleep," she added fiercely. There was a silence as they both remembered how, only a few days earlier, the sleeping witch had woken up to Tri-Klops kissing her. Who would've thought that one moment would lead them to this?

"Just stay on your side of the tent," she said firmly- her final words on the situation.

"What if I accidentally roll onto _your side_ while I'm sleeping?" The tech muttered.

Lyn was surprised- was that _sarcasm _she detected in his tone? She didn't think Tri-Klops had it in him to be sardonic, but she supposed that even he had his limits when it came to rejection and being pushed around.

She did not let him see her surprise. Instead, she sighed wearily.

"Perhaps it would help if I drew a chalk line down the middle of the tent? That way, there would be no confusion," she said slowly, as if she were talking to an idiot.

Now it was Tri-Klops's turn to sigh.

"Good night, Lyn," he said softly, regretting his momentary sarcasm- it had not helped his cause. Then again, nothing seemed to be helping him at the moment. He was constantly trying to show her affection. It was not working.

"Good night," she finally said, turning so that she was facing away from him and pulling the blankets up around her. Eventually, she drifted off to a peaceful sleep, and so did the tech.


	6. The Victory

_This is the longest chapter so far. This story's going to have 8 chapters in all. Hope you enjoy Ch. 6! Next chapter should be up next weekend- i'd like to do it sooner, but it's going to be a very busy week at work- P.H x_

* * *

Evil-Lyn awoke bright and early the next morning. Light was streaming into the tent, and she was surprised to find that she'd slept rather well. Tri-Klops had made her bed rather comfortable- with plenty of blankets and cushions. She noticed that he had already left the tent, and when she wandered outside, still in her nightgown, she saw that the tech was preparing breakfast over the camp fire.

"I've made porridge for breakfast," he announced proudly, as she wandered over and seated herself on the ground by the fire. She was glad of the warmth- it was a cool morning.

He walked over to where she was sitting and placed a bowl of porridge and a cup of tea by her side. He sat down on the ground beside her and began to devour his own food heartily. He noticed that she was shivering in the almost icy morning breeze.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"No," was her short reply, even though it was obvious that she was. She drank her hot tea and ate her warm porridge gratefully, wishing that she'd brought a warmer nightgown. Tri-Klops was tempted to pull her into his arms to warm her up, but he knew she would be furious. Instead, he went to the tent and pulled a blanket from one of the beds. He walked over to where the witch was sitting and placed the blanket around her shoulders. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again abruptly- she still could not bring herself to thank him.

"We should head to Fortesca soon," was all she managed, looking at the fire so she would not have to meet his eyes.

* * *

The ruins of Fortesca were only a few minutes away from where Evil-Lyn and Tri-Klops were camping. They walked quietly together, both were now dressed in their battle uniforms, which made the witch feel much better- it was as though everything were normal again.

Just as Lyn was thinking that everything was going back to normal, Tri-Klops suddenly caught hold of her arm and pulled her over from his left hand side, so that she was standing in front of him. She narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth, but before she could ask him what he thought he was doing, he spoke in a surprisingly sharp tone.

"Careful!" he growled, still holding onto her arm. He gestured to a knee-high plant with spiky blue leaves that was growing in almost the exact spot where she'd been standing. If Tri-Klops hadn't grabbed her and pulled her out the way, she would've walked into it. "Do you know what it is?"

She shook her head.

"It's a Dohnia plant," he told her. The name meant nothing to her. "If you get stung by its leaves, you'll know all about it- they're poisonous."

"Poisonous?" she echoed, looking into his eyes. "Are they fatal?"

He shook his head. "No, just very unpleasant. The poison in them knocks you out for a few hours, and leaves you with this terrible headache for about a day- a headache that no medicine or magic can cure. The plant is rife in this forest, which is why you need to be careful."

She raised an eyebrow at him and opened her mouth to tell him that she was no fool, but then he pointed ahead of them and said, "Look- it's Fortesca!"

Lyn turned then, and saw the city stretching out in front of them. It was gorgeous- even though it had long been reduced to crumbling ruins. Two white marbled towers were at its centre, as well as the shells of several white marbled, palatial houses- where the elite and wealthy citizens of this privileged town had lived before it's destruction from a rare earthquake. Lyn looked at the former city, and was so overcome by its loveliness that she did not move for a few moments- she did not even realise that Tri-Klops was still holding onto her arm.

Finally though, she came to her senses, and the two of them walked into Fortesca's midst. The witch used her magic to try and get a fix on the gem's location, eventually discovering it in the left-hand tower.

"It's in there," she told Tri-Klops, nodding towards the structure.

"You're sure?" he asked. She frowned at him.

"Of course I'm sure!" she replied indignantly. _Honestly! _She thought to herself. This was why she was Skeletor's second-in-command, and not him. The tech never followed his intuition- if he even had any intuition. Things had to always be laid out clearly in front of him before he was comfortable proceeding.

They walked to the entrance of the tower, and Tri-Klops scanned the gold doors in front of them with his electrical wristband.

"There's some sort of coded locking system… …and traps inside, but I should be able to deactivate them from out here," he announced. He began pressing buttons on his wristband, and soon, the rather primitive 300-year old defences were down. The doors swung open, and the pair walked inside.

They travelled down a narrow, dark corridor. The only light came from a magical glowing nimbus that Evil-Lyn had created. She shuddered, and she realised that it was not just from cold- there was something else about this place.

At the end of the corridor, the scientist and the sorceress emerged into a round, circular room with an extremely high ceiling. The walls and ceiling were made of the same white marble that was prominent throughout the city, but the floor was grey stone, and several tall marbled pillars were dotted throughout the room.

Evil-Lyn walked a few steps into the room, closely followed by her tech, but then she stopped suddenly. She felt something.

"Tri-Klops," she said slowly. "We are not alone here."

"What?" He had moved to stand beside her. His sword was drawn and ready for action, but the room appeared empty.

"I sense a presence," she told him. "I do not think it human, but it's definitely in here. The strange thing is- I can no longer get a fix on the gem's location. I think that whatever's in here is somehow cloaking it. Something does not want us here."

As Evil-Lyn spoke, the gigantic white pillar she was standing next to suddenly crumbled. She just had time to look up and see huge chunks of marble flying towards her, when Tri-Klops shoved her out of the way. She fell to the floor, and he landed next to her. The tower had stopped crumbling now, but several large marble boulders had fallen where she'd been standing. The tech had saved her from being crushed.

Tri-Klops had saved her life. She groaned inwardly- _Tri-Klops_ had saved her life. She 'owed' him now.

The tech got to his feet and brushed some dust from his clothes. He held out a hand to help her to her feet, and this time, she took it. He had saved her, and she knew what she had to do. It was better that she get this over with quickly.

"Tri-Klops," she said, trying to keep her voice calm, even though she'd just nearly been flattened. "You saved my life- I believe some thanks are in order."

He nodded, with a pleased smile on his face. She sighed and went on with what she had to say. "You shall be rewarded for your bravery. I know the last few days have not been good between us. I imagine that things have been difficult for you, but they have been difficult for me too. You are still my comrade, and I still need to work with you…"

She trailed off for a few moments, and Tri-Klops wondered where she was going with this. At first, he'd hoped she might 'reward' him by showing some affection- he dared to wonder if he might even get a kiss? But he was no longer getting that impression now. He remained silent and let her continue.

"I'll tell you what," she said evenly. "As you saved me, I'll make a deal with you. I'm willing to overlook your recent foolish actions, and forgive you. You and I can go back to being comrades like we were before, and I will forget that the dare and the kiss ever took place. We shall pretend it never happened. What do you say?"

Tri-Klops stared at her. He felt torn- he knew it was rare for Evil-Lyn to be so forgiving. He was a fool to pass up her offer to 'forget things', but at the same time, he did not want to go back to how they were before. He wanted to be more than comrades. If he agreed to her terms, he could no longer touch her, or try to win her over. He shook his head.

"I appreciate it," he said, in his gravelly tones. "I can't accept though, Lyn. I still want you. I can't pretend it never happened, and just go back to how we were before."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're being foolish! I won't make this offer again."

"Perhaps…" was his simple reply. "But you can't really just pretend nothing happened. It did happen, Lyn. You can't just shut me out."

"Watch me!" she hissed suddenly, angry at his refusal of her generous offer.

Suddenly, a mysterious and chilling voice sounded behind them, cutting through the tension that was thick in the air. "Oh dear, have I interrupted a lovers' tiff?"

They both turned then, and saw a strange being standing before them- undoubtedly what Evil-Lyn had sensed with her magic. It was a creature that seemed to be entirely formed from grey mist, but its shape was almost human and almost the same height as Tri-Klops. It had one glowing green eye, and spoke in a voice that was neither male nor female, yet sent shivers down the spines of Skeletor's finest.

"What are you?" Tri-Klops asked the being. It made a shrill sound in reply- possibly laughter, but he couldn't be sure.

"I am my master's spirit. When he passed on to the next life, he left some of his spirit here to guard the stone, but I also became infused with the spirits of others who perished here- those who died in the great earthquake."

Evil-Lyn stared at the abomination in front of her- she had heard of this happening sometimes. The being before her had been magically created, and left unguarded, magic sometimes took on a life of its own.

"Give us the gem!" She ordered boldly, stepping forward. She hoped the thing would comply- she did not want to spend any more time in its company than necessary. It just laughed at her though- a sound that made her skin crawl. Irritated, she shot a blast of eldritch magic at the being, but it ducked out the way and suddenly swept around her, surrounding her with its cloying mists.

"You're not as powerful as you think!" It snarled. Evil-Lyn felt all the air being sucked from her body. Tri-Klops hastily struck the being with a blue bolt from his visor. It cried out and let go of the witch, who quickly recovered.

"I could say the same about you!" Evil-Lyn declared, unleashing the full force of her magical fury against the creature. She put all her rage and emotions of the last few days into the blast she shot at it. The thing burst into dust, and all that was left of it was its shining green eye, which Evil-Lyn realised was the Gem of Sahnia itself. No wonder it had been able to cloak it so well- the gem was part of the beast. She picked the shining jewel up and pocketed it.

"A job well done, I think," she mused. "Skeletor will be pleased."

* * *

Back at the camp, Evil-Lyn and Tri-Klops ate their dinner before the roaring fire and finished the bottle of wine from the previous night. It was a very cold evening though, and they both retired to the tent somewhat earlier than they had the previous night. Lyn was desperate to get under the blankets so that she could warm up. Tri-Klops had even stretched to wearing a pyjama shirt as well, no longer leaving his chest bare.

As they both settled down into their beds, Evil-Lyn soon felt that sleep was beginning to overcome her. But she was so, so cold. The blankets were not doing enough, and she continued to shiver violently, even as she entered the hazy world of dreams. Her trembling did not go unnoticed by Tri-Klops, who was still awake.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"Mm" she mumbled, not conscious enough to lie or deny it.

"Do you want me to warm you up?" was his next question.

In truth, Evil-Lyn did not actually hear what he said. As she was already practically asleep, she only heard the word 'warm', and she replied with another simple 'Hmm' sound. She wanted to be warm- warm was good. She did not take in the rest of what he was saying. Tri-Klops, on the other hand, thought she was agreeing with him and wanted him to warm her.

He got up then and wandered over to her bed, bringing his blankets with him. He spread the extra blankets over her, and then slid into her bed beside her. He drew her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest, running his hands up and down her arms- she really was cold, he noticed. Her sensitive skin was like ice.

For her part, Evil-Lyn was feeling warmer and drifting off to sleep, sure that this was another dream, but then Tri-Klops tenderly kissed her on the forehead and her eyes shot open. She was awake properly now- awake and confused- it was a grim reminder of the last time he'd kissed her.

"What on Eternia do you think you're doing?" She asked furiously. He looked at her, confused.

"Warming you up- you told me to." He replied, shaking his head in bewilderment.

"When did I say that?" Her tone was rising now, but he was beginning to look frustrated too.

"Just now," he said. "I asked if you wanted me to warm you, and you said 'Hmm'."

"I was practically asleep!" She shot back. "I didn't hear what you said- I was just agreeing with you! You don't have to jump all over me as soon you're within a metre of me"

He rolled his eyes. "Well, that's convenient."

"What do you mean 'convenient'?" She asked. She was really angry now. Tri-Klops sighed- Evil-Lyn in temper was never a pleasant thing, but he did feel that he needed to speak a truth into this situation. He was still holding onto her tightly, his arms around her waist. He looked right into her eyes then and spoke the difficult truth he needed to.

"All this time you've been angry at me, but you've never once told me to stop touching you. I think you like my touch- even though you won't admit it. I think you like the affection I show you, but you don't want to show any weakness, so you let me get a little bit close to you, and then you shut me out. You can't have it both ways though, Lyn."

He took a deep breath and ploughed on. "I've apologised so many times, I've tried to show you I care for you. I can't keep saying 'sorry'- I'm no more or less sorry than I was the first time. You need to seriously think about what you really want."

It was a strong statement, and he looked right into her eyes as he spoke. She had to admit that she was impressed by his boldness. For a moment, she felt a tiny bit torn- it was true that she rather liked having him at her beck and call, so desperate to make it up to her. But it was also true that he would not go on apologising forever- even a man as patient and stoic as Tri-Klops had his limits. Of course, it was easy to contemplate forgiving him when they were lying there, facing each other, his arms locked around her. She did not want to be swayed by his gentle touch. He was right- she did not want to show weakness. She focused on the icy rage once again- the fact he'd lied to her. She wanted him to feel the hurt that she'd suffered.

"Tri-Klops," she said coldly, closing her eyes so she would not have to look at him. "I know what I want… …and it _isn't _you."

"I don't believe that," he said desperately, still hanging onto her.

"Go back to your own bed," she told him. She opened her eyes now, feeling stronger, and saw that he had not moved.

Suddenly, Evil-Lyn reached the limits of the miniscule amount of patience she possessed. She unleashed her magic upon the tech, using it to forcefully shove him out of her bed and back to his own side of the tent. She pinned him there against the tent wall for a moment, and then released him.

"I warned you!" She said sharply. Tri-Klops looked stunned by what had just happened, and then, to her surprise, he suddenly looked angry. She had never seen him angry before.

"Fine, if that's the way you want it," he shot back, his voice rising. Evil-Lyn sat up and bundled up the two extra blankets he'd put on her bed. She threw them back at him, his anger fuelling her own.

"You can take these back as well!" She snapped. "I don't need your help."

Tri-Klops looked at her for the longest moment, and then he stood up. She thought he might come back over and try and reason with her, but instead, he stormed out of the tent and into the night, muttering furiously about 'impossible women'. Evil-Lyn was left sitting there alone in silence. A miniscule part of her wanted to call him back, but she was too stubborn. Instead, she tucked herself into a ball and pulled her blankets around her. She was shivering again now without the tech to keep her warm. After thirty minutes of shivering and shaking, she finally fell asleep.

* * *

Tri-Klops was pacing around outside the camp, trying to calm his temper. Why did that woman have to be so impossible? Why did she have to make life so difficult? He stayed where he was for about forty minutes, breathing steadily and trying to calm down.

When he eventually got a hold of himself, he returned to the tent and saw that Evil-Lyn had fallen asleep. She was still trembling from the cold though. Shaking his head, he picked up his blankets from the tent floor, where she'd thrown them. He carefully placed them back over her so she would not be cold, trying not to wake her. Then he retreated to his own side of the tent, and tried to get warm under his thin sheet. Luckily, he was not as sensitive to the cold as she was, and he eventually fell asleep.

* * *

When Evil-Lyn awoke the next morning, she was surprised to find she had four blankets on top of her. She realised Tri-Klops must have returned and re-covered her. Perhaps he felt guilty after his outburst of anger?

She dressed herself and emerged from the tent, where she saw that Tri-Klops (who was also fully dressed) had begun packing up their camping supplies. He kept his back to the witch as he worked, but he did gesture to a pot over by the campfire.

"There's porridge in there if you want," he remarked gruffly. He did not bring her breakfast and tea as he had the previous morning- he did not even look at her. Ah, so he _was_ still annoyed at her about last night.

Evil-Lyn ate some breakfast and silently watched him work. He kept his back stiff as he began packing up the tent, and he virtually ignored her. In a bizarre role reversal, it was _she _who was being shut out, and she did not like it. After wanting Tri-Klops to leave her alone for so long, she realised that she disliked being ignored by him.

"Thank you for the blankets," she said evenly. She was not used to thanking people- it felt strange. He shrugged and kept his back to her.

"You looked cold," was all he said.

Evil-Lyn knew that if she went up to him and put her arms around him, he would melt. He was not so hard-hearted that he could resist her touch, but she did not want to be the one to 'cave'. Instead, she decided to go for a little walk, needing to be away from the tension in the air.

* * *

She did not get far from the campsite when she felt a sudden sharp, stinging pain on her bare leg, just above the knee. Evil-Lyn looked down and realised she'd brushed against a tall clump of the poisonous Dohnia leaves that Tri-Klops had warned her about. Oh no, this was not good.

What was it Tri-Klops had said? That you passed out first? She tried to keep calm, even though her vision was beginning to blur.

"TRI-KLOPS!" She shouted, unable to quite keep the panic from her voice as the world began to spin. What if he didn't come for her? What if he left her unconscious and sick in the forest? She told herself he wouldn't do that, but the truth was, she didn't know what he'd do in his anger.

She heard running footsteps then, and Tri-Klops came crashing through into the clearing where she was leaning against a tree. His sword was drawn, ready for action. She had never been so relieved to see anyone in her life.

"What is it, Lyn?" He asked. Dizziness swirled around her, and she felt as though the world was tilting.

"The Dohnia leaves- they stung me. I do not… …feel good," was all she managed before she began to slip into unconsciousness.

The last thing she saw was the tech running towards her as everything went black. Tri-Klops raced over to her and got there in the nick of time, catching the witch just before she hit the ground.


	7. The Sickness

Tri-Klops raced back to Snake Mountain at breakneck speed, with the witch unconscious in the seat beside him.

Once he was back at the towering structure he called home, he landed his vehicle in the docks, and then he carefully picked the witch up and carried her through the corridors of Snake Mountain. When he got to the throne room, he found Skeletor was there alone, seated on his throne and brooding.

"Tri-Klops," The skull-faced leader of Snake Mountain said in greeting. If Skeletor was surprised to see that the tech carried an unconscious Evil-Lyn, he didn't show it. He only said, "The mission was not a success, I take it?"

Skeletor's eyes had begun to glow red. He had experienced failure so many times that upon seeing his finest warrior was unconscious, he automatically assumed that things had not gone to plan.

"We recovered the gem, but Evil-Lyn got hurt back at our camp. She was stung by Dohnia leaves," the tech explained.

"You got the gem?" Skeletor stood up from his throne and walked down the steps to his warriors. "Where is it?"

Tri-Klops produced the gem and awkwardly handed it to his leader, trying to balance the witch in his arms at the same time. Skeletor held the small green stone up to the light and began to cackle.

"Excellent work," he declared, bestowing a rare compliment on his warrior. Normally, the tech would've been immensely pleased to be praised, but for now, he was too concerned about the witch. Unlike Skeletor, who was examining the gem intently.

_That's all he cares about, _thought Tri-Klops, looking down at the woman he was holding. Skeletor's reaction didn't really surprise him- power was everything to him and nothing else mattered.

Even Skeletor knew that he would have to wait to use the gem though- he couldn't attack He-Man when his most powerful minion was in such a delicate state. Evil-Lyn would have to get better first. The Overlord of Evil sighed audibly and looked at the witch, finally giving some consideration to her plight.

"She'll have to recover, I suppose. I'm sure you don't mind looking after her until she's healthy again?" he asked Tri-Klops. Of course, the tech knew he wasn't _really_ being asked, he was being ordered- Skeletor did not do polite requests. He didn't mind though, so he nodded.

The skull-faced one clicked his fingers, and in an instant, Evil-Lyn's battle uniform was magically changed, so that she was wearing a nightgown. Tri-Klops recognised it as the same lilac gown she'd been wearing when he'd kissed her- a jolt like electricity went through him as he remembered this.

"That should make it easier for her to sleep," Skeletor commented. Tri-Klops was surprised at the other man's rare consideration, but then, the Lord of Snake Mountain was pleased to have the gem. He was unlikely to have been so accommodating had they failed in their mission.

"Now get her out of my sight. I don't want to see either of you again until she's well." Those were Skeletor's final words on the situation.

* * *

Tri-Klops carried Evil-Lyn to his bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. He wondered if he should've put her in her own room? But he'd have to spend hours- maybe even a day looking after her. He would not feel comfortable wandering into the witch's room and spending hours in there without her permission, so here she stayed.

Eventually, Tri-Klops noticed that the witch was beginning to stir a little. He sat himself on the bed beside Evil-Lyn and stroked her forehead. She opened her amethyst eyes then and blinked at him.

"Tri-Klops?" she murmured trying to sit up.

"Don't try to move," he told her, gently pushing her back onto the bed. "You got stung by those leaves, remember? The headache is going to start soon. You'll need to brace yourself- it's going to hurt."

She nodded wearily. She was not afraid- it seemed like more of an inconvenience than anything. Then she noticed that she was attired in her nightgown.

"Did you change my clothes?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Tri-Klops shook his head.

"That was Skeletor- he used magic to do it."

Like her comrade, Evil-Lyn was surprised that her leader could be so considerate, but she supposed he was just pleased about the gem. He did not mind rewarding his minions when he got what he wanted.

Suddenly, a wave of intense pain washed over the witch, ending her musings. She raised her hands to her head and cried out- it felt as though stars were exploding brightly and painfully behind her eyes. She hadn't been afraid, but then, she hadn't realised it would be this bad- this intense. She groaned.

She had a few moments of respite then as the pain faded, but just as she was breathing normally again, another wave overtook her.

"Tri-Klops!" She cried out desperately. There was nothing he could do for her of course- this poison was immune to magic or medicine- but in her agony she was unable to think straight.

"I know, I know," he soothed. He was leaning over her and stroking her short, silky-soft hair in an effort to calm her. "It will get easier though- the pain will lessen as the day wears on."

His words did little to comfort her.

* * *

They went on like this for the next two hours. The pain came in waves, and Evil-Lyn would suffer a few moments of terrible agony. Then the pain would stop, and there would be calm for several moments, and then the next wave would come.

It was not unlike the pain of labour- how much it hurt had caught her by surprise, and it came in waves. The comparison between the two might have been amusing at another time, but the witch was not in the mood to be amused.

_The difference,_ Lyn thought to herself, _is that when a woman is in labour, she at least has the promised reward of a baby at the end. _

There was no 'reward' for Lyn. No reason to go through the agony- nothing that would make it 'worthwhile'. The only thing the witch was giving birth to was unadulterated pain.

Tri-Klops sat propped up against the headboard, whilst she lay next to him. He'd removed his visor and changed into his own pyjama trousers- correctly surmising that he was unlikely to be going anywhere whilst Evil-Lyn was in such a state. He just stayed next to her, stroking her silvery hair and running his fingers through it, and occasionally telling her how well she was doing.

Suddenly, an explosion of pain that was worse than the others unfolded right behind the witch's eyes. It was too much for her, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Unable to contain her misery any longer, she began to sob in spite of herself. She had never cried in front of a comrade before, but she did not try to cover her face now. It hurt so much that she no longer cared what Tri-Klops saw or thought.

The tech looked at the woman lying next to him and felt a stab of pity for her. Lyn had never cried in front of him before, but now the tears were rolling down her face- so he knew her sufferings must be intense. He pulled out one of his 'work rags' from a bedside drawer (making sure it was clean), and used it to wipe the tears away. Even though he knew there was nothing he could do for the witch, Tri-Klops still felt awful. He was one of those old-fashioned men who couldn't watch a woman cry without feeling partly responsible and guilty- even if it was nothing to do with him.

The tears kept coming, so Tri-Klops lay down next to Lyn and pulled her into his arms, not knowing what else to do in his efforts to comfort her. She was facing away from him, her back pressed against his broad chest. His arms were looped around her waist, holding her against him. The tears eventually subsided as she calmed a little. She lay there quietly for the most part, but when a wave overtook her, she struggled desperately against him. He held onto her tightly though, breathing in her flowery scent. He knew what she was going through. He had been stung by the Dohnia leaves as a boy- he had been alright, but he had never forgotten the pain of it.

For her part, Lyn was feeling somewhat soothed by Tri-Klops's gentle touch. It was helping with the pain a little, so she let him hold her and tend to her. She was not about to tell him to let go. It felt nice. He was calming her, and she desperately needed the relief. In her current condition, Evil-Lyn probably would've agreed to marry Tri-Klops if he'd told her it would stop the pain. During her worst moments, she probably would've agreed to marry _Beastman _if someone had told her it would stop the pain.

Her body was pressed against Tri-Klops's. There was no space between them. She felt secure- even when she shuddered in pain, he did not let go. At one point, after a particularly bad 'wave', Tri-Klops kissed her on the back of the neck tenderly. A jolt of pleasure went through her as she felt his soft lips brush the bare skin there. She gave a little sigh, and felt the pain lessen a little as some of the stress and tension she was carrying were relieved.

Realising that she was responding to him, and that he was helping, Tri-Klops began to softly and slowly kiss his way down her neck. She did not fight him, she just relaxed against him and let him touch and caress her. She gave another sigh to let him know that he was helping, and could continue his ministrations. His kisses reached her shoulder, and he allowed himself to linger there for a while. Feeling soothed, Lyn was actually able to move past the pain and let her weary body fall into a gentle sleep.

Tri-Klops, for his part, was feeling torn. It felt wonderful to touch her again, to be allowed 'in', but he wished it could've been in different circumstances. He hated to see her in such pain. He was surprised that she was actually able to fall asleep. Most victims of the Dohnia plant were in too much agony to rest, so he supposed he must have been able to quiet her a bit. He could only hope that she would sleep for many hours- maybe even through the night- and feel better when she awoke. He continued to hold her against him, and eventually, he felt his eyes closing.

Even in their difficult state, he couldn't help but wonder- how would she feel when she woke up? Would he still be allowed to touch her- were they 'together' now? Or was their current closeness merely a 'sickness thing', meant for temporary relief and nothing more? He hoped it was the former, but he had his doubts. He would have to see in the morning. For now, all he could do was fall asleep.

* * *

One chapter to go!- P.H x


	8. The Decision

_Hi all. Here's the final chapter._

_I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who's read/reviewed/followed this story. It was originally only going to be about 5 chapters, but I've really enjoyed writing it- I could go on._

_But I've decided to end it here on Ch. 8 b/c I just felt that there's been so much back-and-forth-ing and will-they/won't-they moments between Trike & EL, that it's getting to the point where they really need a resolution to the story- if only for poor Tri-Klops's sake- even his patience has limits… …lol._

_Thanks again for reading. Check my comments at the bottom of the page for a sneak preview of what I have planned next. There may even be a sequel to this in the works- P.H x_

* * *

Evil-Lyn awoke the next morning with a pain still in her head, but it was not nearly as bad as it had been the previous day. There were no more waves now, no more tears. Instead, it was like a dull ache. If she had rated the previous night's pain out of ten, it would've been a solid 'eleven'. Now, it was more like a 'three' or 'four'- so much milder.

Tri-Klops was still asleep- he was curled around her, his arms still locked around her waist. He was holding her so that her back was pressed against his chest. She vaguely remembered falling asleep in this position last night, after there had been tears.

She flushed a little to remember how she'd sobbed, but she'd been in so, so much pain at the time, it had felt like there was nothing else she could do. She remembered Tri-Klops trying to dry the tears from her face with a rag of some sort, but there had been too many. It had been like trying to soak up with ocean with one tissue.

She longed to have a bath and change into one of her dresses. It would not be her battle uniform yet- she was wise enough to know that she was still too weak for that. It would be another day or so before she was fully well enough to return to 'the field'. She could return to her room and get washed and dressed though.

She tried to carefully break free of the Tri-Klops's embrace, but found that even in sleep, he was unwilling to let go of her. She did not want to wake him, so she uttered a simple magical incantation that moved his arms apart, allowing her to slip out of the bed and wander back to her own rooms.

As she walked down the corridors, she found herself feeling rather dizzy. It had been unwise of her to call on her magic in her weakened state. She should have used her energy for resting. She made it back to her rooms and quickly washed and changed into a sleeveless magenta gown that complimented her eyes and showed off her lovely curves. Admiring herself in her mirror, she fiddled aimlessly with the thick straps of it and smoothed out the skirts- it was the kind of dress she loved.

She felt odd- a feeling she couldn't quite place- it was almost as if something were missing. Then, she realised what it was. Tri-Klops- he was what was missing. He wasn't there with her. After spending nearly three days solid in the tech's constant company, it felt strange to be on her own again.

Suddenly, the dizziness she felt threatened to overwhelm her. She stumbled as she tried to make it to the bed, and landed on the floor. She groaned, and then heard a knock at the door.

"Lyn?" It was Tri-Klops, come to her aid once again. When she didn't answer, still a little dazed from her tumble, the tech opened the door and raised his eyebrows at seeing her sitting on the floor.

"You should have told me where you were going," he chided. "Can you get up?"

"Of course," was her answer, but when she tried to stand, she found her wobbly legs would not support her. She ended up sprawled back on the floor. Tri-Klops resisted the urge to chuckle at her obvious frustration. He walked over to her, knelt down and scooped her up into his arms. She wisely decided not to protest, and allowed him to carry her back to his room.

"Nice dress," he muttered appreciatively, as he settled her back on his bed. "I'm going to get changed myself."

Now that Tri-Klops knew Lyn was feeling a little better, he felt free to go and wash and change his clothes- he dressed in his usual battle clothing, but he did not wear his visor or chest armour- he left his chest completely bare. Then he went and sat next to her on the bed. He longed to ask where they were, what yesterday had meant for them, but he could not find the words. Instead, he decided to let his actions do the talking.

He shifted so that he was sitting behind the dizzy witch, and pulled her back against him, one of his legs on either side of hers. He gently nuzzled her neck and the side of her face. He then started to alternate between nuzzling and lightly kissing, caressing her neck and face softly with his lips. He rocked her back and forth in his arms as she raised a hand to her spinning, confused head. He was trying to break her walls down.

"Tri-Klops…" she began, worried. A part of her longed to give in to his touch, and stop fighting him- her body stirred pleasantly as he continued. He ran his hands over her flat stomach, and she fought the urge to tell him that it felt good.

She knew that there was a still a conversation that had to be had though.

"Mm?" he managed, lost in his soothing work.

"We need to talk," she muttered, trying to get a hold of herself. She hated herself for using such a clichéd expression. The truth was, that was the easy part. She still didn't know what she was going to say to the tech.

She had never been one to forgive or forget, and she was still hurt over the bet, but Tri-Klops had taken such care over her these last days. If she rejected him now, she knew she would lose him for good- for he would know that he had tried everything, and had not been able to win her over. Was she really willing to give him up, and have everything go back to the way it was?

"It can wait," he told her. "You're still not well."

Did he mean it, or was he trying to buy time? A few more hours in her company? She sighed at his protestations.

"Let me make you a cup of tea," he offered, and she nodded. She loved her tea, and found it difficult to go more than a few hours without a cup. As he exited the room, she watched him leave and pondered what to do for the best.

* * *

After a few moments had passed, she heard a knock at the door. Realising that Tri-Klops wouldn't knock to enter his own room, she called out "Come in!"

To her surprise, Trap-Jaw wandered into the room, a look of interest on his face.

"Came to see how you were!" He told the witch. Trap-Jaw had been feeling a little guilty these past few days. He didn't mind Evil-Lyn, and he liked Tri-Klops- so he felt a little bad that these two people had gotten hurt because of a bet that he'd been a part of.

"I'm… …fine," the witch said slowly. Although, that wasn't strictly true. She was confused and uncertain of her next steps.

The blue-skinned warrior looked around the room, and muttered a 'Huh' sound.

"You seem surprised," Evil-Lyn queried. "As if you expected something else?"

"I'm just surprised Tri-Klops isn't here with you. These last couple of days, I'd started to think you two were joined at the hip or something."

She raised a well-shaped eyebrow at his comment.

"I don't know if I'd say we were joined at the hip." She intoned sarcastically. "It's true that Tri-Klops won't leave me alone though. He's all over me like a rash, any opportunity he gets."

"And where is Trike now?"

"He's making me a cup of tea."

"Oh," Trap-Jaw replied, sounding amused. "Tea, eh?"

He raised his eyebrows a little as he spoke.

"That's not a euphemism for anything," Lyn said sharply. "He really is making me tea."

"I believe you." Trap-Jaw came and settled himself on the bed, uninvited. Then he asked the question he'd been dying to ask for hours. "So… …are you and Tri-Klops back together now?"

"Back together?" Her eyes widened. "We weren't 'together' in the first place."

"You know what I mean- have you two sorted everything out? It seems like ya have!" He gave a devilish grin as he spoke.

"What do you mean 'it seems like you have'?" She questioned, not sure what her comrade was getting at.

"Well," Trap-Jaw's grin grew even wider. "I thought I'd see how you were doing yesterday, but when I knocked, I didn't get an answer. When I came in, you and Tri-Klops were both asleep and all cuddled up in bed together."

The witch blushed uncomfortably at his words. She was silent for a few moments, but realised that Trap-Jaw was waiting for an answer to his observations.

"It's complicated," she muttered finally. Her eyes slid sideways, so they would not have to meet his.

"Then _un-complicate _it," stressed Trap-Jaw. Evil-Lyn was surprised at the exasperation in her comrade's voice.

"What's it to you?" She asked, genuinely interested. Trap-Jaw shifted uncomfortably.

"Look," he said finally, gritting his teeth with the effort of being open and honest. "Trike's a friend, and I don't wanna see him get hurt. I know he really wants you, but I don't think you know what you want- it could end badly for him."

Lyn stiffened at his words. Why did Tri-Klops always get to be the 'victim'? Why did no-one care how _she _felt? She was the one who'd been wronged after all. Trap-Jaw caught sight of her slight, subtle eye roll and asked, "What are you lookin' like that for?"

"You're so worried about _darling _Tri-Klops- worried that I may hurt him with my actions, but you're unconcerned about how much _he_ hurt _me_ with his actions- his silly dare!"

It was the first time she'd let one of her comrades (bar Tri-Klops) see how much they could hurt her. To his credit, Trap-Jaw did consider her plight for a few moments, then he said, "He meant you no harm. Tri-Klops weren't acting out of malice."

"So that makes it alright then, does it?" She snapped back, frustrated. Trap-Jaw visibly flinched at her tone.

"No, but Trike made a silly mistake, and what's done is done," he said reasonably. "You need to decide whether to let it go or not."

"You think I should forgive him…" she guessed, and her comrade shrugged.

"I can't tell you what to do- that's up to you, EL" he replied. Trap-Jaw's casual, easy attitude meant that he was the only one who could get away with calling her 'EL'. "But don't string him along, or I'll lose all respect for you. Don't let him think he's got a chance if he doesn't."

She sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead.

"It's not that I don't want to forgive him," she informed her comrade. "A part of me does, actually. But every time I come close, I remember you all laughing at me- the humiliation."

She shook her head angrily. She searched for that icy rage deep within herself, and was surprised to find that quite a lot of it had melted away- only the barest fragments were left. She didn't let on though. She was quite enjoying the 'woman wronged' act.

Trap-Jaw shrugged and said, "Well, if you can't forgive him for one foolish mistake, then maybe it's a good thing you're not together."

Lyn was surprised to find that his words hurt. She was not keen on all this 'honesty', but she was determined not to be the one in the wrong, so she considered her next words carefully, trying to keep her voice steady. "Tri-Klops understands he did something wrong, and he's sorry. But I just don't think he understands how it hurt, and the humiliation."

"What makes you think he doesn't understand? Of course he understands, Lyn!" Trap-Jaw shot back. Seeing her confused expression, he added, "All the times you've mocked Trike in front of Skeletor and the rest of us- all the times you've told him he was useless or a fool- do you honestly think he's never felt hurt, or humiliated? Of course he has. The difference is that he didn't hold it against you."

The witch was uncomfortable with the truth of her comrade's words. It was right, and she knew it. She _had _humiliated Tri-Klops a lot over the years, and he had never held the grudge she had.

"If I go with Tri-Klops, the other men might laugh at me," she said, although her reasoning was sounding weak to her own ears now. Then only thing holding her back, was herself.

"Yeah, they might laugh- for about a week, but I think you and Trike will last a lot longer than a week." Trap-Jaw stood then and said in parting, "Just some things to think about, be well, Lyn".

With that, he exited the room and left her alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Tri-Klops returned to the room a few moments later, carrying the promised cup of tea for his lady. He set it down on the bedside cabinet, and settled himself on the bed next to her. She drank her tea silently.

"Are you alright?" He asked- she seemed a little more sombre than when he'd left her a few minutes before.

"Just tired," she replied, not meeting his eyes.

"Have a lie down," he suggested.

She did then, stretching back on the bed. Tri-Klops lay down next to her, and the witch eyed him carefully, sizing him up- this man who'd taken such care of her, held her hand, brought her flowers, put his arms around her, nursed her, made her cups of tea. Would it really be so terrible to give him a chance?

Tri-Klops made to reach for her, but she surprised him by reaching for him first. She put her arms around him and buried her face in his muscular chest. Then she kissed his chest.

"Lyn?" He asked, his tone shocked. There had been affection between them these last few days, but she had never initiated it- she had only accepted it from him. Did this mean what he thought it did?

"Does this mean you're forgiving me?" He pondered, putting an arm around her and stroking her hair.

"I don't know," she replied slowly, breaking away from his chest so she could look at his handsome, strong face. "But it does mean that I _am _willing to give you a chance- I suppose you've earned it."

He grinned at her and cupped her face in his hands, and then he kissed the tip of her nose.

"All the grovelling paid off then?" he asked, with a pleased smirk.

"It did- I kept your flowers, by the way," she told him, finally ending the mystery of the pink blooms. So, she hadn't binned them.

He pulled her even tighter against him, and ran his hands down her back. She finally let those infamous walls down.

"Kiss me," Lyn told him, and then she added with a slight, devious smile. "I dare you."

"Oh?" He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Just promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"That you _won't_ give me 120ED if I do."

She smirked at him, and then she spoke into his ear with a whisper that turned into a kiss. "I'll give you something better- me!"

"I'll take that dare," he said, and then he kissed her on the lips for the second time ever, full and passionate. She was responding to him now, kissing him back and pressing her body against his. This time, there was no laughing men in the corridor, no secrets- it was just the two of them. Tri-Klops finally had her.

* * *

_Epilogue- four months later_

_In the end, it turned out that Trap-Jaw was right- when the men of Snake Mountain found out that Tri-Klops and Evil-Lyn were 'involved', their laughter lasted for about a week. _

_Tri-Klops and Evil-Lyn, however, lasted much longer. They have been together now for four months, and things are going very well. They do not flaunt their relationship, but they do not hide it either. There has been some hand-holding in the throne room, and secret looks exchanged during Skeletor's rants._

_Skeletor, for his part, is well aware of it. He does not choose to comment on it, but he has found it has improved life in Snake Mountain. With increased confidence, Tri-Klops is producing some of his best work. Evil-Lyn is calmer, more settled and not so cutting towards her fellow warriors- making them happier and more productive all round. The small changes are helpful for everyone._

_Then, there are the big changes. Tri-Klops has begun to think about his lady, with a view to a more 'permanent' commitment. It's still a vague, abstract idea in the back of his mind at the moment, but it is there all the same. And, as for changes in Evil-Lyn's life?_

_Evil-Lyn is definitely calmer. She is definitely more settled. It is though a lot of the rage has been drained from her. It could be because she is happy, or because of something else- or a combination of more than one thing. For Evil-Lyn's battle uniform seems a little tighter these days- particularly around the waist- a possible sign of an even bigger change to come._

_But that is a story for another day._

The End

* * *

_Thanks again for reading. I deliberately left the ending a bit 'open'. I think that I might write a sequel about Trike/Lyn including some of those big 'changes' I referenced at the end. No immediate plans yet though- I don't have a title or anything. If I do write it, it'll be over the summer._

_I'm planning a shorter story next- only 3 or so chapters, and though it's He-man- it's not related to this, but I might work on this sequel after._

_P.H x_


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